Electric-lamp lock



H. E. WILLIAMS.

ELECTRIC LAMP LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCII I7, I9I8.

1A2?,883 mem ept. 15,1922

WITNESSES I/I VEIVTOR f1 (220562 E h wms.

I ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

. I E E D S T PAT ELECTRIC-LAMP LOCK.

Application filed October 17, 1918. Serial No. 258,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAnoLo E. VVInLiAMs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVashi'ngton, in the District of Co lumbia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to electric lamp locks, and more particularly to a means whereby to prevent umvarranted removal of an electric lamp from its socket, my object being the provision of simple inexpensive means whereby this end may be accomplished, and whereby the features which bring about the desired end may be applied with equal facility to the socket or the base of the lamp which is screwed into the socket.

Generally speaking, my invention contemplates that one of the two engaging threaded shells of the lamp base and socket shall be freely rotatable with respect to the member upon which it is mounted, and of which it forms a part, the shell so revoluble having-means arranged to cooperate with a wrench which may be associated with the lamp and which is detachable therefrom, the wrench when held in operative position preventing rotation of the revoluble shell so that the lamp may be screwed into and out of the socket. Without the use of the wrench, the lamp simply rotates without revolving one shell with respect to the other, and the lamp is thus prevented from' being withdrawn.

My invention further contemplates the utilization of a wrench having means cooperating with the revoluble shell to hold the latter and of such a nature that by varying the spacing of parts each wrench may be arranged to fit only-those shells with which it is intended to cooperate.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 isa side view of a lamp wit-h the wrench applied;

Figure 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section of the lamp base;

Figures 3 and t are respectively a plan and side view of the wrench, and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the invention as applied to a lamp socket.

Referring now to these figures, the lamp 10 of Figures 1 and 2, is, and in accordance with my present improvements, provided at its base with a freely revoluble threaded ring or shell 11 in the position occupied by the ordinary stationary shell. In the present nstance this shell is supported in connection with an insulating piece 12 upon an axial stem 13 of the lamp base, the outer edge of the shell being secured to the insulatmg piece 12 and the inner edge thereof having spaced recesses 14.

The shell 11 screws into a similarly threaded shell within a lamp socket, as is well known, and in the present instance where the shell 11 is freely revoluble, it is contemplated that the cooperating shell of the lamp socket shall be stationary. It is obvious, however, that with the shell 11 revoluble, the lamp could not be screwed within the socket except by holding the shell 11 stationary, and could not afterwards be removed from the socket except by holding the shell stationary, in respect to the lamp.

F or the purpose of holding the. shell stationary, I provide a wrench in the form of a plate 15, as seen particularly in Figures 1, 3 and 4:, shaped to fit the contour of the lamp 10 adjacent its base and preferably to extend around the lamp for slightly over half of the circumference thereof in order to clasp thereon in the effective position of the wrench, the plate 15 being of a light springy material for this purpose and having at its smaller end projecting lugs 16 which enter the recesses 14 of the shell 11 so as to hold the latter against movement with respect to the lamp and thus permit it to be screwed into and out of the shell of the lamp socket.

While it is preferable that the revoluble shell 11 be carried by the lamp, it is obvious that for the purpose of my invention the revolving shell may be, with equal facility, mounted in connection with the lamp socket as seen in Figure 5, where the shell 17 is freely revoluble upon an axial pin 18 within the socket 19, its outer edge having the recesses 20 with which the lugs 16 of the wrench 15 cooperate.

It is furthermore obvious that the particular means consisting of the wrench 15 and lugs 16 entering the recesses of the revoluble shell, enable me to provide against selectively spaced to coincide with the spacing of the recesses and arranged to enter the latter, said wrench being made of spring 1 material and conforming to the contour of a portion of the lamp whereby said Wrench in operative position will he tightly clamped to said lamp when the latter is grasped and thereby prevent revoluhle movement of the movable shell with respect to its support when said lamp is screwed into said lamp socket.

HAROLD E. WILLIAMS. 

